Thomaston: The Town that Went to Sea

There are no remains of the early 1630 trading post at the base of Wadsworth Street, and only a handful of 18th century homes survive within the village. The first homes built in 1719 were crude log cabins and did not withstand the early hostile attacks. Oliver Robbins, who was born in Walpole, MA, built the first framed house on High Street in 1762. The Fales families on High Street above the Mill Creek/River joined him soon after.

These first permanent dwellings were mainly storey-and-a-half un-painted capes, surrounding a central chimney. It is fairly certain that David Fales, 2nd in 1786, built the house at 59 High Street, said to be one of the oldest in town. The house has been altered but its basic simplistic Cape Cod style is quite typical of the times. It is said that the walls are constructed with vertical planks. Many houses of this style of architecture still exist in Thomaston, ranging in construction dates from the late 18th century to the mid 19th century. It was a comfortable and proven style with which builders were familiar.